Parents say: How to care for a newborn baby

Let voicemail do the talking

If phone calls are important, people will call back. My partner didn't understand why I wouldn't answer the phone when he was at work until he stayed home one day. Sometimes it's easier to let voicemail pick up a call. You can return the call when you feel up to it.— Tarita

One thing that we did to survive the first weeks with our newborn was to leave a baby update as our answering machine message. Getting rest and sleep was so difficult those first few weeks that we turned off the ringer on the phone, changed the message periodically, thanked people for calling to check in on us and asked them to leave their messages. We promised we would get in touch with them when it was convenient. We found that people enjoyed calling to see what the new information was — the latest weight and height from the doctor visit or other tidbits such as, "Dad changed his first diaper," or "We gave Hunter his first bath." It was a great way to keep people informed without getting overwhelmed by well-meaning interruptions.— Janet

Accept visitors only when you're ready

Decide what your policy will be on visitors. Include some rules for relatives and friends, who sometimes believe they have a right or a duty to spend every second of the day with you and the baby. Yes, you will need lots of help, but that doesn't mean the end of your privacy, and not every visitor will be helpful.— Poli

Rest up

What I remember the most was trying to nap while the baby did. Let the household chores wait. You need your sleep much more than the house needs a vacuuming!— Donna

During my daughter's first six weeks, I learned that all the articles that tell you to rest when the baby does are actually right. Whenever my daughter took her naps, I usually caught up on housework, but by 7 p.m. I was sound asleep on the floor. Whatever else you do, make sure you get your rest. It will help you and the baby.— Misty

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